The present invention relates to a method and device for producing portions from a continuous strand in order to produce individual portions, and more particularly a portioning device comprising at least one pair of particular clamps, in particular for the production of sausages from a continuous strand consisting of a food product such as minced meat or fish and/or vegetables, covered with a skin or casing.
The prior art includes, in particular in the patent documents WO2008/155491 and WO2010/006893, and U.S. Pat. No. 7,762,874, portioning devices for manufacturing products such as sausages comprising a pair of opposing clamps suitable for being moved towards each other by actuating means from an open position to a closed position in order to clamp the strand. Each clamp of the pair comprises clamping means formed from a plurality of clamping plates each equipped at the end with a front clamping edge. The two clamps are offset in relation to each other such that, when moved to the closed position, the plates are moved simultaneously and overlap in a manner similar to shears, and form via the clamping edges thereof passages or diaphragms with progressively decreasing cross-sections. The diaphragms have a minimum cross-section different to zero in the closed position of the clamps. The portioning devices comprises cutting means comprising a blade associated with the pair of clamps, suitable for being actuated to cut the strand when the clamps are in the closed position.
These clamp systems provide progressive clamping around the strand which limits risks of tearing of the casing thereof, in particular in the case of the manufacture of sausages from a continuous strand obtained by coextrusion of a food product coated with a starting base, comprising for example one or a plurality of hydrocolloids, wherein said base is intended to form the casing by gelling in a bath arranged downstream from the coextrusion device and upstream from the portioning device.
After performing cutting and moving the clamps to the open position thereof, the food product tends to come out of the casing via the open ends of the sausage. The openings at the end of the sausage may be up to 4 to 8 mm.
The aim of the present invention is that of providing a portioning device remedying the abovementioned drawbacks, or even preventing the opening of the ends of the portions after the cutting operation, particularly in the case of sausages having a coextruded casing.